Shujaat was killed because he tried to find a middle path: Jitendra Singh

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Udhampur and Union minister Jitendra Singh said that Shujaat Bukhari was killed as he “tried to find a middle path”.

“Any activist in Kashmir — whether from the journalist fraternity or political fraternity — if they tried to work out a middle path, they had to run through this fate. Shujaat tried to find a middle path, which also was done by some of the political activists like Mirwaiz Maulvi Farooq. It was also done by Abdul Ghani Lone. I am not talking in terms of stature but in terms of the strategy being followed by Pakistan — whenever it finds some activists who try walk on some middle path, they (Pakistan) try to get him out of the scene,” Singh was quoted by the Hindustan Times as saying.

He also said that he has “no hesitation in saying that these are Pakistan-sponsored agencies”.

Regarding the suspension of cease-ops by the Government of India, Singh said that the home ministry has taken cognisance of all the reports and then taken a judicious decision.

“Let’s not forget that the immediate priority is to ensure that the upcoming Amarnath Yatra concludes peacefully. That is the responsibility of the government, and of course, of society. The Amarnath Yatra is not only a holy pilgrimage for Hindus, it is actually a symbol of India’s composite culture. We have a huge stake in ensuring the success of this Yatra and ensuring that no mischief happens,” he said.